pISSN 2093-2340   eISSN 2092-6448
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    Infect Chemother. 2012 Feb;44(1):31-34. Korean.
    Published online Feb 29, 2012.
    https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2012.44.1.31
    Copyright © 2012 by The Korean Society of Infectious Diseases and Korean Society for Chemotherapy
    Case Report

    A Rare Case of Pericardial Actinomycosis

    Ho Yeon Jung,1 Hyo Youl Kim,1 Young Keun Kim,1 Woo Taek Kim,1 Se Yong Sung,1 Ji-Ho Lee,1 Hyang Sun Lee,1 Hye Won Hwang,1 Mee Yon Cho,2 and Il Hwan Park3
      • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea.
      • 2Department of Pathology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea.
      • 3Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea.
    • Correspondence to Hyo Youl Kim, M.D., Ph.D. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, 162, Ilsan-dong, Wonju 220-701, Korea. Tel: +82-33-741-1206, Fax: +82-33-748-1206, Email: hyksos@yonsei.ac.kr
    Received July 13, 2011; Revised August 29, 2011; Accepted August 29, 2011.

    This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

    Abstract

    Actinomycosis is a common chronic suppurative and granulomatous infection caused by anaerobic or microphilic bacteria primarily from the genus Actinomyces. However, Actinomyces is a rare cause of pericarditis. We experienced a rare case of pericardial actinomycosis. A previously healthy 44-year-old man presented with 3 days of fever, chest pain, and clinical signs of congestive heart failure. Chest computed tomography showed pericardial effusion, pericardial thickening, and bilateral pleural effusion. A subxiphoidpericardiotomy was performed, and a histological specimen was taken from the pericardium. A histological section of the pericardium showed an actinomycotic granule (sulfur granule). His symptoms and signs improved after administration of piperacillin/tazobactam and steroids. He was uneventfully discharged on oral amoxicillin/clavulanate. He recovered fully with no recurrence after six months of follow-up.

    Keywords
    Actinomycosis; Pericarditis; Constrictive; Heart failure; Congestive

    Figures

    Figure 1
    Chest computed tomography shows pericardial effusion, pericardial thickening, and bilateral pleural effusion.

    Figure 2
    An actinomycotic granule is embedded in the inflammatory exudates (pericardium, hematoxylin-eosin stain ×400).

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    MeSH Terms
    Actinomyces
    Actinomycosis
    Adult
    Bacteria
    Chest Pain
    Fever
    Follow-Up Studies
    Heart Failure
    Humans
    Pericardial Effusion
    Pericarditis
    Pericardium
    Pleural Effusion
    Recurrence
    Steroids
    Thorax
    Metrics
    Share
    Figures
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